Parts feeding hopper and method



y 26,1959 A. F. HAUSMAN ET AL 2,888,169 I V PARTS FEED HOPPER AND METHOD Filed April 1. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORJ flAgserE/ln usmmvarzd BY Jim/v55! TLER,

May 26, 1959 A. F. HAUSMAN ETAL PARTS FEED HOPPER AND METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 wazz INVENTOR5 H155 RTEH nus mm and BY WW1. ER, ZOE/V575.

M y 26, 1959 A. F. HAUSMAN ETA 1 9 PARTS FEED HOPPER AND METHOD Filed April 1, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 5L5 ER r Ehfiusmmvand BYjbH/Y EEUTLER,

United States Patent PARTS FEEDING HOPPER AND METHOD Albert F. Hausm'an and John F. Butler, Indianapolis,

Ind., assignors to Diamond Chain Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 1, 1953, Serial No. 346,095

9 Claims. (Cl. 221-167) This invention relates to a feed hopper for aligning cylindrical parts in a column arrangement and feeding them for processing or other purposes. It is an object of the invention to produce a simple feed hopper which will arrange similar cylindrical parts in a column in an aligned end-to-end arrangement and which will forcibly 'feed such column to a discharge point. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective method for arranging and feeding cylindrical parts axially of themselves.

A further object of the invention is to produce a feeding device which, without'need for adjustment, will maintain a supply of axially aligned parts available at a discharge point irrespective of the rate at which the parts are removed at the discharge point.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form we employ a rotating hopper having a bottom of shallow frusto-c'o'nical form sloping generally downwardly from its center to its periphery, where the bottom is provided with an upwardly projecting annular flange. Surrounding the bottom and projecting upwardly above such flange is a stationary rim the inner surface of which, above the flange, forms substantially a continuation of the inner flange-surface. Supported from the stationary rim and extending helically downward into the bottom are apair of guides spaced apart vertically to receive between them a row or column of the parts being fed.

The lower one of such guides extends downwardly inside the bottom-flange to a point low enough that it will pick up and elevate circumferentially moving, tangentially disposed parts to be fed. For the initial portion of its I extent the space between the two guide members is uncovered interiorly of the hopper; "but near the upper ends of the guide members such channel 'is covered to form a chute completely enclosing the row of fed parts. At its upper end, such chute communicates with a tube which receives the column of parts and conducts them to the point of discharge. 7

Articles fed through the discharge chute or tube are subjected to 'a force opposing their feeding movement to such an extent that the velocity of feed will be materially less than the peripheral velocity of the hopperbottom. The parts tend to align themselves in a circumferential column located at the base of the bottom-flange. Because of the restriction imposed on feeding of the parts, the mass of parts in the hopper will rotate relatively to the aligned parts constituting such circumfere'ntially extending column. This 'diiference in velocity promotes aligning of the parts in the desired column arrangement by the wiping action of the mass on the disarranged parts projecting laterally from the circumferential column, especially when the length of "theparts is large relative to their diameter.

For feeding parts whose length-diameter ratio is relatively smallthe rotating hopper is provided at the base or its annular flange with a peripheral groove with t which there co-operat'es astationary bafile which extends circuni ferentially of the hopper for a substantial dis- 2,888,169. Patented May 26, 1959 tance in the direction of hopper rotation from a point closely adjacent the lower part-elevating guide. For a substantial first portion of its circumferential extent the bame projects downwardly far enough to occupy the groove and prevent parts from completely entering it, but over a second portion of the extent of the bafll'e'its lower edge is inclined upwardly in the direction of hopper rotation to a point where the groove is opened for the reception of the parts being 'fed. The stationary bafile acts to insure that parts will not drop into the groove until they have attained a tangential disposition.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. l is a plan View of a feed hopper "suitable for feeding parts of relatively small length-diameter ratio;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view constituting a development of the peripheral portion of the hopper looking outward from the axis;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmental sections on the lines 4-4 and 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of the invention suitable for use *in the feeding of parts having a relatively large ratio'of length to diameter; and I h Fig. 7 is a firagmental isometric view showing a detail of the hopper of Fig. 6.

As illustrated in the drawings, the device comprises a base 10 provided with an upwardly projected annular flange 11.. Within the base is a speed-reducing unit 12, "the rotatable output element 13 of which projects upwardly coaxially with the flange 11. The driven element 14 of the speed-reducing unit 12 is operatively connected to some convenient source of power, preferably such as a variable-speed electric motor 15, conveniently housed Within the base .10.

Mounted on the output element 13 'is a circular plate 20 which constitutes the bottom of the feed hopper. Such plate has an upwardly projecting mripheral flange 21 which desirably is rather closely received within the flange 11. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the plate 2b is provided at the base of'the flange '21 with an annular groove 22 which, as will be brought "out more fully hereinafter, is proportioned with respect to the diameter and length of the parts which the hopper is to feed. An annular slot 23 extends downwardly from the bottom of the groove 22, the width "of 'such slot being materially less than the diameter of the parts to be fed. The upper surface of the plate 20 is desirably :firusto-conical in shape, sloping downwardly from "the center of the plate to the groove '22. l

If the output element 13 of the speed-reducing unit 12 does not provide adequate support for the 1-atea0 and the load which it sustains in use, the base may be provided with an annular series of plate-supporting rollers 26 engageable by an annular track 27 secured to the lower surface of the plate 20.

Secured within the base-flange 11 immediately above the bottom-flange 21 is a stationary ring 25 having an internal diameter preferably equal to that of the flange 21. Supported from the ring 25 are upper and lower parallel guide members 30 and 31 spaced apart vertically to provide a channel the width of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the parts to be fed. The lower guide member 31 extends helically downwardly within and close to the flange 21, where it terminates in a finger 32 projecting into the slot 23. i

As will be described below in greater detail, the parts finger 32 it will be engaged by such finger 3'2 and directed I sistance to feeding movement.

1 which the spring provides.

along the upper surface of the guide member 31. Over the lower portion of the guide members 30 and 31 the channel between them is open, but over the upper portions of the guide members such channel is closed by a cover plate 35. The inner surface of the ring 25, the two guide members 30 and 31, and the cover 35 define a conduit the cross-sectional dimensions of which are such as to slidably receive the column of parts to be fed while maintaining such parts in aligned relationship. Conveniently, the upper ends of the guide members 30 and 31 are so shaped that the discharge end of such conduit extends substantially horizontally and communicates with a feed-tube 36 through which the column of parts may be conducted to any desired discharge point.

The structure shown in Figs. 1 to includes a stationary baffle 40 which extends circumferentially along the inner face of the flange 21 from a point adjacent the pick-up point for approximately half the circumference of the flange 21. As shown, the baffle 40 is pivotally connected to the ring 25 by a screw 41 (Fig. 3), such screw being located near that end of the baffle which lies beneath the guide member 31. At spaced intervals along its length, the baffle is provided with vertically extending slots 42 each of which receives a clamp screw 43 extending into the stationary ring 25.

The anterior end of the baffle is tapered to fit closely adjacent the lower part-elevating guide 31 (Fig. 3); and the screws 41 and 43 support the baffle in such a position that for a considerable distance from the guide 31 the lower edge of the bafiie will lie within the groove 22 and will then slope upwardly in the direction of hopper-rotation until it lies above the groove. The slots 42 permit adjusting the baffle to vary the inclination of its lower edge in such manner as may be necessary to accommodate the device for the feeding of parts of different dimensions.

Successful operation of the feed hopper requires the imposition on the fed parts-column of a substantial re- In Fig. 3, we have illustrated the apparatus as provided with a leaf spring 45 which engages the fed column of parts through a slot 46 in the wall of the feed tube 36. Means, such as a screw 47, may be provided for varying the pressure which the spring 45 .exerts on the parts and for consequently varying the frictional resistance to feeding movement In many cases an adequate resistance to feeding movement will be provided by friction of the fed parts within the tube 36, by the weight of the parts if the fed column extends to a sufiicient eleobliquely upwardly -vation, by releasing means at the point of discharge, or by the nature of the machine to which the parts are fed. In any event, the column must be subjected to 'sufiicient resistance to ensure that its velocity will be materially less than the peripheral velocity of the hopperbottom 20.

Satisfactory operation of the feeding device also requires that the hopper be maintained reasonably full of parts. The lowermost of such parts, resting on the outwardly inclined face of the hopper-bottom 21, and also being subjected to the action of centrifugal force, seek the periphery of the hopper. Most parts will enter the groove 22 in a tangentially disposed position, and a circumferentially extending column of parts will exist in such groove. The column will be propelled in the direction of feed by friction between the parts forming the column on the one hand and, on the other hand, the engaged surfaces of the hopper-bottom and the rotating mass of parts in the hopper. Because of this propelling effort and the imposed resistance to column movement, the parts in the column will be forced together and each part will be clamped between the parts ahead of and behind it. The magnitude of such clamping effort will increase from the remote end of the column toward the guide members 30 and 31.

Since the end faces of the parts are normal to their axes, parts clamped in the column will lie either longitudinally thereof or perpendicularly thereto. Parts which lie perpendicularly to the column will extend therefrom into the mass of parts in the hopper. As that mass is moving at a higher velocity than the column, it will exert on any laterally projecting parts clamped in the column a tipping effort which will tend to remove such parts from the column particularly at the remote end of the column where the clamping eifort is relatively slight. If the ratio of the length of the parts to their diameter is relatively large, say about 3 to 1 or greater, and if the hopper is kept reasonably full, the tipping tendency will overcome even a considerable clamping effort such as exists at points in the column nearest the guide members 30 and 31. With parts having a smaller lengthdiameter ratio it may be necessary to provide means preventing the incorporation of any laterally disposed parts in the column. It is for that purpose that the battle 40 is provided.

The shape of the groove 22 will depend upon the diameter of the parts and also, to some extent, upon the ratio of the length of the parts to the diameter of the plate 20. Preferably the depth of the groove is about equal or somewhat less than the diameter of the parts; and for a distance inwardly from the flange 21 the bottom of the groove is substantially flat. Inwardly beyond its flat bottom, the wall of the groove slopes inwardly and upwardly, joining the upper surface of the plate 20 in a well defined edge or shoulder 50 (Fig. 5) which is preferably spaced from the inner face of the baflie 40 by a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the parts being fed. As each part received in the groove will extend chordally, its midpoint will be spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the flange 21 by a distance which will depend upon the length of the part and the diameter of such inner flange-surface. Desirably, the flat groovebottom is wide enough to permit a chordally arranged part to lie wholly on it free from contact with the sloping side wall of the groove.

The lower guide 31 and the anterior portion of the bafiie 40 will prevent parts in the hopper from immediately dropping into the groove to replace the column elevated by the guide 31. For a considerable circumferential extent beyond the guide 31 a condition similar to that shown in Fig. 5 will exist. The baffle 40, extending downwardly into the groove 22, will prevent any part from entering the groove completely. Tangentially arranged parts will drop more deeply into the groove than will parts otherwise disposed. Since the battle is stationary, friction will tend to retard parts in frictional engagement with it, thus lessening the clamping effort which favors retention of a misaligned part in the column. A vertically arranged part, forced downwardly by its own weight and the weight of other parts in the hopper, will rotate on the inner surface of the baflie and, by its rotation, will tend to move inwardly of the hopper both itself and the part which follows it. As will be apparent from Fig. 5, a tangentially disposed part in the groove 22 engages the bafiie only near the lower edge thereof whereas parts otherwise disposed engage the bafiie at higher points. Therefore, as the parts proceed along the face of the battle to the point where the upwardly inclined lower baflie-edge reaches an elevation permitting a tangentially arranged part to drop to the bottom of the groove 22, a tangentially arranged part will so drop but parts otherwise arranged will still engage the bafiie and will remain partially supported thereby. In effect, this lessens the extent to which an improperly arranged part extends into the column and increases the extent to which it projects into the more rapidly moving rotating mass, thus increas ing the tendency of such mass to wipe the part from the column. These factors, coupled with the more rapid movement of the mass of parts in the hopper, combine to insure that before parts in contact with the bafiie move .5 "very far along it they will either become tangentially disposed or will be removed from the column of parts which are tangentially disposed.

At the point where the upwardly sloping lower edge of the bafile attains a sufiicient elevation, the tangentially arranged parts on the face of the baflie will drop completely into the groove 22, as shown in Fig. 4. Because the upward slope of the lower edge of the baflle is gradual, the tangentially arranged parts do not drop abruptly into final position, and the column, consisting entirely of properly aligned parts, will therefore extend continuously, counter to the direction of hopper rotation, in the groove 22 and for a distance along the face of the baflle 40 beyond the point at which the parts drop into the position illustrated in Fig. 4. We have not attempted to illustrate this condition, as the drawings would thereby be unnecessarily complicated. For the same reason, we have not attempted to illustrate the haphazardly arranged mass of parts in the hopper. As previously indicated, the desired feeding action demands that the hopper be kept reasonably full, preferably to a depth equal at least to the length of the parts being fed.

When a hopper equipped with the baflle 40 is first placed in operation, the column forming in the groove 22 may embody one or more transversely arranged parts. If any such part is far enough from the end of the column it will be subjected to a clamping effort, and if the length-diameter ratio is relatively small the tipping tendency caused by the higher velocity of the mass of parts may not be sufficient to overcome the clamping effort and remove the part from the column. Such parts may have to be removed by hand or otherwise before reaching the cover 35. Any such condition is temporary; for the column, once formed in length to reach the baffle, receives only tangentially disposed parts.

If the hopper is filled to a suflicient depth, there may be a tendency for parts to be slid upwardly along the upper surface of the upper guide 30 and to spill over the edge of the ring 25. To prevent any such action, the ring may be provided with a deflector 25' which will deflect inwardly of the hopper any parts sliding upwardly along the upper surface of the guide and thus prevent such parts from being forced out of the hopper.

We have found it desirable to arrange the bafile 40 to occupy the groove 22 for the greatest possible distance consistent with exposure of the column in the groove 22 to the friction necessary to feed the parts against the resistance imposed upon them. With that end in view, it has been found practical to employ a baflle 40 of approximately 180 in extent. The slots 42 permit the baffle to be pivoted about the screw 41 to vary the inclination of its lower edge, thus making it possible to adapt the hopper to the feeding of parts of different diam eter while still keeping such parts out of the groove 22 until a point near the posterior end of the baflle.

For feeding parts whose length-diameter ratio is comparatively large, say 4 to 1 or greater, the baflle 40 and groove 22 may be eliminated, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In such an arrangement, the column forms in the angle between the hopper-bottom 20 and the flange 21; and such comparatively long parts project sufliciently far into the rotating mass in the hopper that the tipping effect resulting from the greater velocity of such mass will be suflicient to tip any projecting part and remove it from the column, even if the clamping effort exerted on it by the adjacent parts of the column is substantial.

In some instances, where no baffle is used and especially if the parts are relatively large, the driving effort resulting from the friction of mass of parts on the column of aligned parts may become excessive. In such situations, it may be desirable to limit the length of the column, since the length of the column exposed to the more rapidly moving mass of parts in the hopper, other things being equal, determines the magnitude of the feeding effort. To limit the length of the column, we may 6 use a shoe such as is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. "suh a shoe may resemble the lower guide 31 which elevates the column of parts, having a finger 33 entering the groove 23, but having its upper surface beveled or rounded off as indicated at 56 so that the parts elevated by the shoe will roll off under the upper surface thereof into the indiscriminately arranged mass of parts, thus breaking upthe column formed in front of the shoe. In rear of the shoe, or between it and the guide 31, a column of limitedextent reforms and is fed upwardly between the guides 30 and 31in the usual manner. The shoe extends upwardly in the direction of hopper rotation far enough to lap the stationary ring '25 to which it may be secured by screws "57. The ring 25 may be adapted to support the shoe in any of several positions spaced circumferentially along the rim of "the hopper.

We claim as our invention:

1. A device for feeding cylindrical parts, comprising a circular plate mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said plate being provided with an upwardly projecting peripheral flange and with a peripheral groove at the base of said flange, said groove being adapted to contain tangentially disposed parts and having a width such as to confine said tangentially disposed parts in a circumferentially extending column in abutting end-to-end relation, a pair of stationary vertically spaced guide members extending helically downwardly within said flange and defining in co-operation with the flange a parts-receiving channel opening inwardly of the plate, the lower one of said guide members extending to the bottom of said groove to elevate a column of parts in the groove, means for rotating said plate in a direction to cause the column of parts to move upwardly between the guide members, and means acting on the column of parts elevated between said guide members to oppose movement of the column.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said plate is provided with an annular slot of lesser width than said groove extending downwardly from the bottom of the groove, said lower guide member having a finger received in said slot.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 with the addition of an arcuate stationary bafile extending along the inner face of said flange, said baflie occupying said groove for a distance extending in the direction of plate rotation from a point adjacent the lower of said guide members.

4. A device for feeding cylindrical parts, comprising a circular plate mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, said plate having provisions defining an annular, concentric channel for receiving a plurality of the parts to be fed, said channel having walls between which the received parts are received and by which such parts are confined to form a circumferentially extending column wherein the parts abut each other in end-to-end relationship, a stationary inclined guide means extending into said channel and adapted to elevate said column of parts, means for rotating said plate in a direction to cause the column of parts to move upwardly in said guide means, and means yieldably opposing upward movement of the column in the guide means, said parts-receiving channel being free from obstructions which, by engaging the received parts, would move said column at the linear velocity. of the channel, said last named means acting to retard said column to a velocity below the linear velocity of the channel.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that said last named means comprises a friction member resiliently urged into engagement with the parts column.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that the upper'surface of said plate slopes downwardly from its center toward said channel.

7. In a parts-feeding method wherein cylindrical parts in an indiscriminately arranged, rotating mass of parts are formed into a circumferentially extending column in contact with the remainder of the mass with the parts arranged in end-to-end abutting relationship and said column is guided from the mass while moving longitudinally of itself with the parts still in end-to-end-relationship, the step of yieldably opposing movement of the separated column to retard all parts in the column to a linear velocity materially less than that of contiguous portions of the rotating mass.

' 8. A device as set forth in claim 1 with the addition of means preventing entrance of parts into said groove for a distance extending in the direction of plate rotation from a point adjacent the lower end of said channel.

9. A device as set forth in claim 4 with the addition of means for preventing entrance of parts into said groove for a distance extending in the direction of plate rotation from the lower end of said guide means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sloan Sept. 30, 1851 Delkescamp et a1 May 21, 1878 Hawkins et a1. Mar. 25, 1890 Van Norman Aug. 8, 1893 Jacques Nov. 7, 1922 Duston et a1. Oct. 20, 1925 Streby Sept. 22, 1931 Jones Oct. 20, 1931 Dennison Nov. 24, 1931 Lewis Dec. 22, 1936 Mundy Oct. 17, 1939 Lakso Feb. 12, 1952 Balsiger et a1. Sept. 9, 1952 

